NEW NURSES' HOME.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 September 1918, Page 6

NEW NURSES' HOME.

HOSPITAL BOAKD AND DR. FRENGLEY IN CONFERENCE..""

A conference was held yesterday between the Taranaki Hospit::! Board and Dr. Frengley (Acting-Inspector General of Hospitals) on the question of the urgency of the erection of a new nurses' home at the New Plymouth Hospita!, and also in regard to the erection of new hoard offices and a dental clinic. There were present the chairman of the board (Mr M. Fraser), and Messrs .T. Andrew*, F. M Hill, R. Morgan, J. Young, and Q. Capper. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs A. E. Sykes and J. Andrews. ■ ! The chairman welcomed Dr. Frengley who statci' he had come to confer with' the hoard on the matter ot the nurses' home. He understood that the board proposed to borrow for that purpose a sum of about £1.3,000. He said that there was a certain financial stringency, and he had to be in a position to report to the Minister of the Public Health Department, so that he could certify to the Finance Minister that the work was urgent and absolutely essential. The chairman said the members of the board were of one mind on the question. It might be' thought that under present distressing conditions the board could carry on with its present accommodation. The nurses, however, were at present housed in five different places, and the consequence was that the Matron had no possibility of properly controlling them when outside the wards. If they were housed in a proper building the matron could supervise them in a satisfactory ill ,mer. The board had been considering the question for a long time, and regarded it as imperative. They had met the Minister in connection with the matter, and he had agreed with them that it was the first consideration of the Deparment to see that the nurses in the public hospitals were provided with proper accommodation. He pointed out that the Matron had a great deal of anxiety regarding the welfare of the nurses. There were some of them almost continually on sick leave, and the board was finding a great difficulty in keeping its staff up to requirements. The future of the hospital depended greatly on the board providing proper accommodation for its nurses, and the board regarded it as necessary at whatever cost. He was certain if it was necessary to rate for money the ratepayers in the district would be fully prepared to pay such a rate. Other members of the board all supported the chairman's statement of the urgency of the matter. During the course of the discussion jt was pointed out that both the Minister of Public Health and Dr. Valintine had agreeu thaf the new home was absolutely necessary and the nurses and the board had believed the matter was settled and ready to proceed with. The members representing the country portions of the district said the district was quite prepared o pay a rate in connection with the proposed expenditure. Surprise was expressed that it should be necessarj for the board to go all over the ground again with Dr Frengley, seeing they had fully discussed the whole scheme with the Minister. It was also pointed out that the crisis with the medical staff some time ago had been largely on account of the inadequate accommodation for the nursing staff. The chairman, in summing up the discussion said that without appearing to dictate to the Department he wished, to say that the board felt that if they could not get the money from the Government now, they were not likely to get it for a very long time. He felt the responsibility of borrowing a larger sum at the present time. He had viewed the progress of the war, and- had noted speeches of Mr Lloyd George and other leaders who had stated that normal conditions could not be expected within five years after the end of the war. He felt therefore that they should make a big effort, to get the money required now. The Dominion was full of money. The farmers were getting practically what they liked to ask for wool, meat and dairy produce; but when the war ceased and things became normal those high prices would not prevail. There would be less money in circulation and he anticipated a period of frightful depression. Dr Frengley asked what amount the board was going to ask the Public Trust Department for to build its. nurses' home, new offices and dental clinic.

The chairman replied, £21,000 including the cost of other improvements, sucli as some roading to be clone, and also furnishing of the home and the board's offices/' Dr. Frengley asked further if there was any possibility of the board going to the contributing bodies by means of a direct levy for any part of the amount required, to which the chairman, said the board had not considered that view of the position. Dr. Frengley said that although he had been advised that there was financial stringency, he was satisfied from his inspection of the place made that 'morning, and from what the board had said, that the nurses' home was not satisfactory from the point of view of not being under proper control. He thought that in present times that was a matter of greater importance perhaps than in ordinary times. He did not consider the nurses were over crowded or that their accommodation was in any sense insanitary. He admitted there were some undesirable rooms in the building He would be prepared to advise that .those conditions were such as to warrant going on with the building of a new Jiome at once. The amount of money was a considerable sum. but he hoped to be able to bring about that finality in the matter which the board so much desired, and they should know within a fortnight whether the money would be available. The secretary pointed out that the bonrd had laid out its scheme, on the basil of the: Minister's suggestions as to-ti|k rate from the contributing local bodies^^. The chairman said they were well aware that there was another loan for whicli money would be required and that the Acting-Minister of Finance was urging that money be conserved for it; but it was also known that money could be found for certain other departments to spend on much less important matters than public health. He was, however, grateful to -Dr. Frengley for coining and discussing the matter with the board and was pleased to note that lie appeared to be fully acquainted with the position and ttiat he evidently saw the board's point oft view. The matter of the %oan!?s offices and a dental qlinic were then referred to. Dr. FTcngley stressed the importance of protective and preventive dental work for the children of the Jess well-to-do cI&SSGSt

idea evidently had the full approval of the Minister and when here he had expressed his satisfaction that the board contemplated such a step, he did not think there should be much difficulty about that portion of the loan. The board had not made any definite arrangements in regard to professional services in the event of the dental room being opened. In reply to the secretary, Dr. Frengley stated that if some of the loan was raised by means of a direct levy on the contributing bodies, that sum would carry the usual Government subsidy of :C1 for £l. Dr. Frengley suggested that the board should be prepared, in the event of the whole loan not being obtainable from the Government, to go to the ratepayers for a direct contribution of the balance, Qialf of which would, of course, be made up by Government subsidy. Dr. Frengley thanked for the information furnished him on the matter and the chairman thanked Dr. Frengley for coming and meeting the board, who, he was sure, felt satisfied that the, Government would grant them at any rate a large proportion of the money required.